At least three times a week I travel through downtown Houston to get to my gym. As I am driving through the edge of the city, there are people always on the sidewalks. I often wonder if the people driving ever notice these silhouettes or do they just make sure their doors are locked as they pass the faceless figures. The street I drive on is Fannin which has become the main thoroughfare for the METRO bus system since the addition of the rail line. On this street there are agencies like Lord of the Streets, The Men’s Center, Planned Parenthood and SEARCH. These agencies mainly serve the homeless population, so the silhouettes are usually the nameless homeless of the city.

People

They are the people that I serve on a consistent basis; they are the people that the city wants to ignore.

But they are people; and each of them has a story.

They may be a person who is standing in line at Lord of the Streets who needs their ID because the last time they had one it was stolen at the homeless shelter and now they need an original to get his Social Security card to be able to apply for a job.

They might be the person who has just left SEARCH going to their part-time job, which they are glad to have because it puts food in their mouth and allows them to add money to their METRO Pass.

The silhouettes might be the Christian protesters at Planned Parenthood carrying signs or literature, they are not homeless, but appear to be familiar with the homeless of Fannin.

The guy in his sweat pants sitting outside of the Men’s Center might be enjoying his first cup of coffee for the day before he heads to work to earn minimum wage to pay the weekly rent for the roof over his head. He might be praying or meditating and thanking his Higher Power for one more day of sobriety that allows him to live at a place that will make him a sandwich for his work day and keep him safe from the streets.

The guy with the backpack waiting at the bus stop might be leaving SEARCH and going to a job interview for the third time this week; this time he hopes they don’t ask him about the three felonies that are a direct result of his drug use, but now he is sober.

The woman figure walking into Planned Parenthood might be going to get an abortion because she knows she has been using PCP, is HIV+ and doesn’t want to have the baby from the boyfriend who just dumped her for his old girlfriend.

The young guy walking to his car at The Men’s Center might be heading to his job selling cars just outside of the city and is happy to have a place to come home to, even if it’s the shelter. He feels at home with the recovery addicts, he feels good about his sobriety today and good about choosing to live there.

Changes

Most of these silhouettes are people who are getting their lives together; but I can only imagine that the people driving by only see silhouettes. They may fear them. They are just people driving by, not paying attention to those on the streets, unaware that these people on the sidewalks are getting their lives together, one day at a time, one piece of paper at a time, one bus route at a time and grateful that the agencies are there to help them. They are not silhouettes; they are people.

Posted by Sonya G. Adams, LMSW, LCDC at 4/28/2010

The recent incidents of young people committing suicide is such a sad and painful situation. What is it that drives a person to think that there is no hope for their situation? I can only answer this from my own experience.

That was over 30 years ago. That voice was a sign from God, whom I choose to call my Higher Power. I realize today that my hopelessness was being driven by my fears; fear that the situation would never end, that no one will understand, that I would be shamed for what was going on, fear that I should be thrown to the trash. After all, I was hearing these messages from the perpetrator who told me that I was worthless, not lovable, that I would not amount to anything. These are the fears that were being instilled in me, and being a teenager, I believed him and feared he was right. Obviously I did not commit suicide, but I an never forget that feeling.

I don’t know what’s it’s like to be bullied because of my sexual preference or gender identity, but I do know what it’s like to be in a ‘hopeless state of mind and body.’ I can only imagine what these young people suffered through in their bullying experiences. And as a young person today, not being accepted because of their identity is probably the most fearful, painful situation they are experiencing. But it does get better, things change.
I remember being bullied because of my race/ethnicity; until the age of nine I grew up in a neighborhood where Hispanics were the minority and African Americans/Blacks were the majority in Houston’s Third Ward. I was picked on because of my skin color. I hated it. I pretended to be sick on some days because I feared I would be subjected to the harassment.
Then in my third grade, my family moved to a predominately Caucasian/White neighborhood in the Cypress ISD, the same school district where Asher Brown attended. Boy, it was rough for this overweight Hispanic child. The favorite name my brother and I were called was ‘Taco’ not ‘Spic’ or other derogatory names, but ‘Taco’. Most days on the bus, we were called these names as we rode the bus home from Arnold Middle School; same school that my nieces attended. My younger brother would get in fights constantly. He was too young to remember the Third Ward, but he sure did fight for his Hispanic Heritage on that bus on a regular basis.
Being picked on because you are different is PAINFUL. WORDS HURT! Teenagers already feel LOST, why must they be bullied by their PEERS? Just because someone is different doesn’t mean you have to FEAR them. Our DIFFERENCES is what makes us GREAT and UNIQUE! If you want to be accepted by others, you must ACCEPT others!

Bullying Must Stop Now!

By the way, I did amount to something – I am a wife, a partner, a sister, an Aunt, I have a License as a Master Social Worker, I am a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and advocate, I work with those challenged by addiction on a daily basis and love it! I know what the sun feels like on my face in at least six different countries and what the ocean looks like through snorkeling gear in about three different countries.
I am also a Recovering Addict, clean & sober for over 20 years! So far I am doing good. If I had given in to my fears, I would not have experienced all that life has given me.

Thank you GOD for giving me this life so far, I expect more wonderful things ahead!

Posted by Sonya G. Adams, LMSW, LCDC at 10/19/2010